EP37 | Building Overland Storage with Brian Fulton, Goose Gear

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Episode Description

Few would argue that Goose Gear builds some of the best cabinetry and storage solutions for overlanding vehicles in the industry.

At X Overland, Goose Gear has continued to meet our demanding needs as both overlanders and filmmakers, equipping our vehicles with custom-built storage solutions that keep our overlanding gear and camera equipment safe, secure, and accessible.

In this episode of the X Overland Podcast, we have a conversation with Goose Gear owner/founder and CEO Brian Fulton.

Join the conversation as Brian shares the origin story and inception of Goose Gear, the evolution of his relationship with X Overland, and how he built a successful business around his passion for overlanding adventure.

Detailed Episode Summary

Part 1 (1:30-4:55) Intro and Welcome Brian Fulton! What is Goose Gear? What’s the origin story of the company? What do they build and what are they doing at the X Overland Hangar? Brian shares what inspired Goose Gear and he and his wife’s background in countertop and cabinet manufacturing and how they applied that to building cabinetry and storage systems for overland vehicles.

Part 2 (4:58-8:25) Fatherhood and Brian’s Inspiration to Begin Overlanding: When did Brian Fulton of Goose Gear begin overlanding? What inspired him to buy a 4×4 and hit the trail? What role did Clay Croft, Expedition Overland, and Andrew St. Pierre White play in his introduction to overlanding? Brian explains his inspiration as a father to take his daughter adventuring, align his work with his passions and family interests, and how Goose Gear came out of this desire.

Part 3 (8:28-13:00) Identifying a Need within the Overlanding Industry–the Inception of Goose Gear: Brian explains his research into the overlanding space, how he identified a niche for custom cabinetry and storage systems for overlanding vehicles, and his evolution from being a fan of X Overland to an industry partner and provider of their custom vehicle storage systems.

Part 4 (13:05-17:30) The Growth of Goose Gear and How it has Developed into a Family Business for the Fultons: Brian shares how his daughter has grown into being an employee of Goose Gear and her plans for future global adventuring. Jimmy and Brian discuss the role of parenting and encouraging your children toward a life of adventure and exploration.

Part 5 (17:30-22:25) Brian Shares his Joy for the Overlanding Community and Why He Loves Being a Part of the Overlanding Industry: Brian discusses his experience at Dave Bennett’s Mountain Rendezvous and how inspired he was by the overlanding community he met there. Jimmy and Brian discuss the overlander’s mindset and approach to interacting with the world in a positive way.

Part 6 (22:28-23:58) Brian Fulton’s Future Plans for Goose Gear and International Overlanding: Jimmy and Brian discuss the difference between domestic and international overlanding. Brian shares his aspirations to overland abroad and build Goose Gear into an international business, also sharing how the South African company Alu-Cab, a leader in vehicle-based overlanding camping systems, serves as an inspiration to him. (For more on Alu-Cab and its owner/founder Jeremy Bergh, see our podcast on this subject!)

Part 7 (24:00- 27:10) Overlanding and Camping with Brian Fulton of Goose Gear: What does overlanding look like for Brian Fulton? What’s his approach to camping, cooking, relaxing, and traveling? Brian and Jimmy discuss their interests and style of travel when overlanding and camping and the joys of combining being “in the dirt” with overnights in charming small towns.

Part 8 (27:11-31:36) Overlanding Tourism and Brian’s Vision of Traveling Abroad: Brian explains his concept of flying to different places and overlanding with locals. Brian and Jimmy discuss what it looks like to overland within a country when your get there and the birth of “overland tourism.” Brian explains the challenge of growing as a business and his conservative approach to scaling and development.

Part 9 (31:37-36:45) A Look at Brian Fulton’s Personal Overland Vehicle, a 1986 60 Series Toyota Land Cruiser: Brian explains why he chose a 60 Series Toyota Land Cruiser as his personal overlanding vehicle, sharing his appreciation for its aesthetics, heritage, and functionality.

Part 10 (36:46-42:32) What has Goose Gear Added to “Orion,” Expedition Overland’s 2022 3rd Gen Toyota Tundra? Jimmy and Brian discuss the custom cabinetry Goose Gear has built for X Overland’s new, 3rd Gen 2022 Toyota Tundra, “Orion.” Brian explains how he designed this particular storage system to fit inside an Alu-Cab Cabin, and his desire to continue building his relationship with Alu-Cab. Brian also shares his appreciation for OK 4WD as a business that has supported him from the beginning. Jimmy and Brian discuss the unique needs of Expedition Overland and how Goose Gear is able to meet Expedition Overland’s unique needs as overlanders and filmmakers.

Part 11 (42:33-End) Final Words of Inspiration from Brian Fulton on Overlanding and Getting Started with a Life of Adventure: Brian shares his philosophy of #startsomewhere and the importance of getting out and beginning your adventure in overlanding with whatever vehicle you have. Brian and Jimmy discuss the overlander’s mindset of adventure and appreciating life.

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